Tag Archives: carnegie library

1916, Marion Carnegie Library Dedication Speech

Posted on by October 25, 2024

The following was delivered by Ed. M. Stotlar on February 29, 1916 at the dedication exercise held at the library building during the evening:

The first organized effort for the starting of a Public Library in Marion, Illinois occurred in January, 1906 when Prof. J.W. Asbury, then Supt. of the City schools made a public call for a mass meeting of all citizens interested in procuring a public library for Marion. The meeting was held in the City Hall and liberally attended by citizens interested in the movement. At this meeting Prof. J.W. Asbury was chosen chairman of a committee to confer with the aldermen and mayor and city attorney and ask that a library ordinance for the City of Marion be drawn and passed at once. As a result of the efforts of this committee, the first library ordinance was passed on March 12, 1906, known as Ordinance No. 60. Mr. C.H. Denison was Mayor and the board of aldermen consisted of B.H. Jeter, A.M. Townsend, Sandy Miller, E.H. Moulton, Joseph H. Moss, W.O. Potter, John S. Strike and A.B. McLaren, with George Campbell, Secretary and Hosea V. Ferrell, attorney. Continue reading →

1915, Old Landmark Moved Off The Library Site

Posted on by June 8, 2014

Marion Carnegie Library in the 1920'sOld Land Mark Moved Off the Library Site

The last section of the Grandma Cline house on South Market Street was removed today leaving the lot vacant that has not been so in 60 years or more.

Isaac Campbell, grandfather of City Clerk Geo. C. Campbell, erected this dwelling in the summer of 1854 at a time when the number of houses all told in Marion did not exceed 50. Continue reading →

1973, Marion News in Brief

Posted on by February 17, 2014

1973 was a light and dark year for Marion citizens. On the light side, the property tax, often a staple of city financing, was eliminated in this year. The city annexed three parcels of real estate, including Scotsboro, for a total of almost 400 additional acres. One of the commercial annexes, included property that was part of the city’s first industrial park off N. Carbon Street, and would serve as a location for Marion’s third bank, the Peoples Bank of Marion. Ray Fosse Day was held November 27th to celebrate a visit by Fosse after playing with the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. Continue reading →

Woodley, Mark 1873-1958

Posted on by February 10, 2014

Mark Woodley 1873-1958Mark Woodley Jr. was born December 24, 1873 at Dipton, Durham County, England, and was the son of Mark Woodley Sr. and Maria (Williams) Woodley and was partially educated in England

In early January 1886, Mark aged 12, his parents, then in their mid-40’s, and his 3 year old sister Florence boarded the steamship “Indiana” in Liverpool and arrived in the port of Philadelphia on January 29th. The family made their way to the coal fields of northern Illinois and located at Coal City southwest of Cook County. Mark completed his education in this area while his father worked the coal mines. Continue reading →